Evaluation Report. Project “Sustainable Rural Development by Reducing Discrimination against Women in Upper Egypt”: EC-Ref. ONG-PVD/2006/119-498. Local implementing partner: Integrated Development Action Minia – IDAM, Azza Moussa, Cairo.

The project “Sustainable Rural Development by Reducing Discrimination against Women in Upper Egypt” focuses on the very important topic of human rights/women’s rights. It has been highly successful in its aims, and has brought many considerable benefits to the lives of women. The project activities cover a broad range of topics, and beneficiaries are embedded in a sophisticated way. Religious leaders, media workers, NGO representatives, representatives of governmental institutions, members of support committees and project friends have all helped to raise public awareness of the project and its aims, as well as aiding implementation according to the needs of beneficiaries at specific locations. The project activities include, on the one hand, activities which IDAM is very experienced in implementing (such as micro-loan granting, awareness raising, literacy classes, health classes as well as vocational training) and, on the other hand, some new additional components (mixed class activities, a family club, women-to-women component). These are essential in order to reach new important beneficiaries’ groups such as fathers, pre married men and men of marriageable age. The first mentioned aspects, as well as the inclusion of new target groups, are essential measures with respect to ensuring sustainability.
The project has had to deal with sever l religious conflicts emerging in certain villages and which have effected the implementation of activities. Neverth less, most local project leaders have been able to calm the situation and continue running the project activities – sometimes with minor delays. It has become clear that the role of IDAM is somehow ambivalent: As it is a Church organisation rather than an NGO, IDAM is labelled a “Christian institution”, leading some religious groups to refuse their cooperation or support (in particular since the Muslim participants are “forced” to enter a church-owned building). On the other hand, IDAM plays an important role in stabilising peaceful co-existence and even co-operation between Muslims and Christians. IDAM has a proven and respected history of inviting Muslims to participate in the project; for example a Muslim woman was hired by IDAM for the project management. Nevertheless, in relation to the ratio of Muslims and Christians living in the villages, a more balanced representation at all levels of the project management is desirable. Also the gender balance should be more even: Only one project location leader of ten is female, and only one of the four field coordinators is male. In general, it can be said that women’s rights in Upper Egypt are still in a deplorable condition, and poverty amongst women is widespread. Consequently the region urgently needs assistance such as provided by the current project, even though only a limited number of people can be reached compared to the total of those in need. In terms of sustainability, more work should be done to implement further train-the-trainer activities, and to focus on more multiplicator strategies (implying snow-ball effects). The latter would also help to release the project staff from recruiting beneficiaries, which takes much time and effort, and thus react more flexibly to the time constraints of the local people (such as during harvest seasons, and the work obligations of young men, etc.).